Quickbooks

[mk162]

you probably can, but the problem with quick books is it's accounting.  You are not running a business that fits into the accounting world.  If you were selling off the shelf parts, yes, QB can handle that.  We are selling thousands of SKU's with unlimited decoration options.  Do not use QB as a production managing software.

Look at the many options out there.  Your money is better spent on a newer version of that than QB.  I just upgraded QB because T-quoter won't work with 2007.  We used to buy it every 2 or 3 years.  I went 5 this time.

I can do artwork in Word too, but that doesn't mean it does the job like it should.  You will get more accurate quotes and more accurate costing from a program designed to do it.  I promise.

[ZooCity]

I second MK on that, though I have invoiced and quoted out of accounting software over the last year.  I really feel cloud based is where its at as all your systems can tie into each other and sync via api.  There's only one viable cloud system for embellishers out there, I'm doing some collab on it and guiding development and it's getting really close to being top shelf.  It's not full-swing, at least not the way I'm using it, just yet but I will be posting about it after we are into the system for month or so and can give it a fair test overall. 

I say eave accounting systems to doing just that- accounting.  Use dedicated software for the rest.  MKs MS Word analogy is excellent.

[Prosperi-Tees]

I am having an argument with the mrs. because she doesn't understand the need for two programs
 1 for invoicing and customer, inventory management and one for accounting. I understand it but getting her to buy into it is another story

[mk162]

How involved is she in the day-to-day?  Have her manually file every piece of info for every job and invoice everything that comes in.

Frankly, the best thing we did was go with management software.  My mom would get pissed when I would drop a completed ticket on her desk with no pricing on it.

Seriously, it replaces an employee.  Instead of somebody to file and recall job info, and input all of the invoices, it's done ahead of time.

She needs to look at the steps of an order.  Draw her a flow chart with and without management software.  She will like the difference.

[Prosperi-Tees]

I'm thinking of loading QuickBooks and the T-Works manager on her computer so she can get used to handling all that while I concentrate on selling and printing. Right now I pretty much handle everything and give her paperwork to file and organize. Well I just did our taxes and it was a mess adding, sorting thru everything. And we were only part time last year. I figure since we are full time now, we need to be more efficient and organized.

[mk162]

the earlier you start with a good management program, the better.  We started in 2006, thankfully we don't get many people placing reorders from before then.

[Prosperi-Tees]

I agree. I think I will invest tomorrow with her and get QuickBooks setup and then we will look at installing the shop software

[ZooCity]

Approach it from this angle:

What data do you need out of the quoting program and into the accounting?  - Sales and COS Purchases.

That's it and it's a very easy import or manual entry into the accounting program of your choice.  This is like a 15 minute job daily, weekly or monthly depending on your workload for sales out of the quoting program.  You could even do it on the fly, right after you receive payment on an order, it goes into qb.   Most of these programs, I think, even let you manage payments and account balances from within and many have qb exports.

Pitch the idea that it's less work for her to do on the accounting side and less to muck it all up.  In accounting terms it matters not what color or brand of Ts someone ordered or what they had printed on them.  All that matters in that realm is how much you were paid by the client and what you paid for or owe your suppliers in materials on the project.  Coming from a simplified ordering and quoting program it really is that simple. 

[Prosperi-Tees]

Does QB handle inventory tracking? How about different price levels for one product. I'm actually asking this for a product business we are starting. I want a software that can handle inventory, accounting, accounts payable and receivable, purchasing and invoicing etc. Will QB be the right choice?

[Audifox]

We've been using QBooks for 15 yrs. We have the premier version. It will do everything that you are asking about.
 Go with the pro or premier version.